Chinese farmers illegally growing genetically-modified corn, says Greenpeace

Farmers are illegally growing genetically modified corn in China’s northeast, said the environmental group Greenpeace on Wednesday, in a report that may generate further distrust of the government’s ability to ensure a safe food supply.

Beijing has spent billions of dollars to develop GM crops that it hopes will ensure food supplies for its 1.4 billion people, but has not yet approved commercial cultivation amid deep-seated sentiment against the technology.

READ MORE: China launches investigation into illegal cultivation of genetically-modified crops

The new findings seem to confirm concerns that Beijing will be unable to supervise the planting of GM crops once commercial cultivation is permitted, leading to widespread contamination of the food chain with GM varieties.

Greenpeace said 93 per cent of samples taken last year from corn fields in five counties in Liaoning province, part of China’s breadbasket, tested positive for traces of GM crops .

Furthermore, almost all of the seed samples taken from grain markets and samples of corn-based foods at supermarkets in the area also tested positive.

“It is very likely that much of the illegal GE corn has already entered grain storage warehouses, wholesale and retail markets across the country, ultimately ending up in citizens' food,” said the report.

While Greenpeace said it was not clear how the GMOcorn seeds got into the marketplace, it has long been alleged that genetically modified plants tested in field trials have been illegally sold to farmers for commercial use.